Category Archives: TIFF Toronto International Film Festival

TIFF FILM REVIEW: Alexander Payne’s ‘Downsizing’

Posted on September 10, 2017 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” is a science-fiction tale that mixes whimsy with social commentary in constantly surprising ways but with ideas so scattershot that they never adhere as a satisfying drama. His filmmaking is so imaginative, … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Stephen Frears’s ‘Victoria and Abdul’

Posted on September 10, 2017 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – That Judy Dench stars as the venerable English queen in “Victoria and Albert” tells you all you need to know about what to expect from another tale of one of the widowed monarch’s odd friendships.

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: George Clooney’s ‘Suburbicon’

Posted on September 9, 2017 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Joyless, witless and pointless, “Suburbicon” is a would-be black comedy that is simply murky and not in the least comic. It boasts some big names – director George Clooney, stars Matt Damon and Julianne Moore … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Dee Rees’s ‘Mudbound’

Posted on September 7, 2017 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO: “Mudbound” is set in the Mississippi Delta in the 1940s but with torrential rain, deeply ingrained racial hostility and changes wrought by World War II, it’s no treat to beat your feet. Two poor families – … Continue reading →

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FILM REVIEW: Damien Chazelle’s ‘La La Land’

Posted on December 12, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett Damien Chazell’s musical fantasy “La La Land” starts badly but evolves into a sweet little film for romantics thanks largely to winning performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. A tale of two dreamers whose ambitions in … Continue reading →

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TIFF2016: Women lead the way at Toronto fest

Posted on September 21, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – The big talking point at the 41st annual Toronto International Film Festival, which ended Sunday, was the sheer number of films that featured high-profile performances by women. Around 400 titles were screened at the shindig, … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Gemma Arterton in ‘Their Finest’

Posted on September 14, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Lone Scherfig’s “Their Finest” is a crowd-pleasing British World War II comedy that tells of a hapless group of filmmakers at work on a morale-boosting movie with outstanding performances by Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Mick Jackson’s ‘Denial’

Posted on September 13, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Mick Jackson’s “Denial” tells of a loudmouth who calls himself an outsider and makes offensively racist comments that he claims are jokes. No, it’s not Donald J. Trump, it’s a British writer named David Irving, … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Natalie Portman in ‘Jackie’

Posted on September 13, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Chilean director Pablo Larrain’s “Jackie” purports to tell what Jacqueline Kennedy did in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. If the film is to be believed, the answer is: not … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Amma Asante’s ‘A United Kingdom’

Posted on September 12, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” tells with wit and relish the true story of the Forties romance between a black African Prince and a white English typist and the perils they face in both their … Continue reading →

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